Footwear

ABSTRACT

A boot ( 1 ) or other item of footwear is made up of a rubber sole unit ( 2 ) mounted to an upper comprising both leather and rubber components, for example a foot piece ( 3 ) of rubber and a shaft piece ( 4 ) of leather having a napped outer surface, such as suede, particularly pigskin suede. The boot ( 1 ) is assembled with an edge of the rubber foot piece ( 3 ) overlapping the outer surface of the leather shaft piece ( 4 ), and a rubber tape ( 11 ) binding the edges ( 13 ) of the shaft piece ( 4 ) together. The whole boot ( 1 ) is then vulcanised, bonding the leather and rubber components sealingly together. The boot ( 1 ) or other item of footwear is attractive, durable and waterproof.

The present invention relates to an item of footwear and to a method for producing said footwear. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to an item of waterproof footwear.

A widely-used form of waterproof footwear is that known as a Wellington boot. It generally comprises a sole, a foot portion and a shaft extending up a wearer's lower leg to just below the knee, all made of a rubber material, nowadays usually a synthetic rubber material such as neoprene. (Hence their alternative name of “rubber boots”).

As a general rule, the shaft and the part of the upper to enclose the foot comprise a single rubber moulding, which is mounted to a rubber outsole and then vulcanised, forming a watertight seal. A wide range of insoles, midsoles, linings, toecap and counter reinforcements and so forth may be added.

The standard working Wellington boot is usually coloured black. Versions are made from rubber of other colours, and the so-called “green welly” has become fashionable in some circles. However, it is still unmistakeably made from moulded rubber. A glossier finish may be obtained by using polymers such as polyvinyl chloride, but such boots tend not to show the durability and performance of neoprene rubber or the like. Leather boots are expensive and difficult to keep waterproof, welts being a particular problem area, and waterproofing treatments for leather do not generally produce an attractive surface finish.

It is hence an objective of the present invention to produce an item of footwear, particularly a boot with a shaft, that is waterproof in wear, but which has a more attractive appearance than conventional Wellington boots and the like. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing such footwear.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an item of footwear having upper means including at least one component comprising a rubber material and at least one component comprising a leather material having a nap on an outer surface, said rubber and leather components being mounted sealingly together by vulcanisation of the upper means.

Preferably, said leather components comprise natural leather.

Advantageously, said leather components comprise suede leather.

Said leather components may comprise pig suede.

Said leather components may comprise cow suede.

Preferably, said rubber components comprise a synthetic rubber material.

Advantageously, said rubber components comprise a neoprene rubber material.

The item of footwear preferably comprises sole means of rubber, sealingly mounted to the upper means by vulcanisation.

Advantageously, said sole means and said rubber and leather components of the upper means are substantially simultaneously sealingly mounted together by vulcanisation.

In a preferred embodiment, the or one of the at least one leather components comprise a shaft means of the item of footwear.

Preferably, the at least one rubber component and the at least one leather component of the upper means have generally the same colour.

Advantageously, the sole means has substantially the same colour as said at least one rubber component of the upper means.

Alternatively, the sole means may have a colour contrasting with that of the upper means.

The item of footwear may comprise elongate rubber tape means extending along a line of contact between selected components, in overlapping contact with and sealingly vulcanised to an outer surface of each adjoining component.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing an item of footwear, comprising the steps of providing at least one component of an upper means of the footwear comprising leather having a nap on an outer surface thereof, providing at least one component of an upper means of the footwear comprising rubber, assembling said components to form the upper means and vulcanising the upper means to form a watertight seal between the leather and rubber components.

Preferably, the method comprises the further steps of providing sole means of the footwear comprising rubber, assembling the upper means and the sole means to form the footwear and vulcanising the footwear to form a watertight seal between the upper means and the sole means.

Advantageously, the leather and rubber components are vulcanised together to form the upper means and the upper means is vulcanised to the sole means in a single vulcanisation step.

The method preferably comprises the step of producing said at least one leather component from suede leather, advantageously from pig suede.

The method advantageously comprises the step of producing said at least one rubber component from synthetic rubber, optionally from neoprene rubber.

The assembly step or steps may be performed by hand.

The assembly step or steps may comprise applying elongate rubber tape means to extend overlappingly along selected joints of the footwear, prior to vulcanisation.

Said elongate rubber tape means may be applied to join leather to leather.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a boot embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevation of the boot shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the Figures, and to FIG. 1 in particular, a boot 1 comprises a sole unit 2, mounted to an upper comprising a foot piece 3 and a shaft piece 4. The sole unit 2 comprises an integral heel 5 and tread 6 of conventional form and is provided with a midsole and insole also of conventional form. The outsole of the sole unit 2 is made of neoprene rubber.

The foot piece 3 of the upper also comprises a neoprene rubber moulding. A toecap reinforcement 7 and a counter reinforcement 8 are mounted to an inner surface of the foot piece 3.

The shaft piece 4 is made of a single piece of sueded pigskin leather shaped to enclose a lower leg of a wearer.

An upstanding rubber sealing strip 9 extends around an outer edge of an upper face of the sole unit 2, overlapping a lower margin of the foot piece 3. An upper margin of the foot piece 3 overlaps a lower margin of the shaft piece 4 along a seam 10. An elongate rubber tape 11 extends substantially vertically down a rearmost portion of both the shaft piece 4 and the foot piece 3. A rubber trim strip 12 extends around an upper margin of the shaft piece 4.

The major components of the boot 1 are shown in separated form in FIG. 2. The shaft piece 4 is made from a single piece of suede leather, formed into a generally cylindrical shape by bringing opposite edges 13 together as shown. The lower margin of the shaft piece 4 and the upper margin of the foot piece 3 are shaped substantially conformably.

To assemble the boot 1, the upper margin of the lower foot piece 3 is disposed around the lower margin of the shaft piece 4, to form the seam 10. The rubber tape 11 is then mounted to the outside of the shaft piece 4, joining its opposite edges 13, and is continued down the outside of the foot piece 3. The sole unit 2 is then mounted to the foot piece 3, the sealing strip 9 enclosing the lower margins of the foot piece 3 and a lower end of the rubber tape 11. The trim strip 12 is then mounted around the upper margin of the shaft piece 4 and an upper end of the rubber tape 11.

Next, the assembled boot 1 is vulcanised, using standard conditions for vulcanising the particular type and grade of rubber being used. Suede leather, and particularly pigskin suede, is found to be capable of withstanding the temperatures involved without degradation of its properties or appearance. After vulcanisation, it is found that not only does the sealing strip 9 fuse to the foot piece 3, forming a secure and waterproof seal between the sole unit 2 and the foot piece 3, but the foot piece 3, rubber tape 11 and trim strip 12 all bond sealingly and securely to the shaft piece 4. It is found that a napped leather surface (such as in suede or nubuck) and a rubber surface will bond intimately together when the rubber is vulcanised. It is believed that the fused rubber flows around the fibres projecting from the napped surface then sets with the fibres embedded therein. Pigskin suede is particularly suitable, since its fibres tend to comprise clumps of three in a tripod arrangement, defining a cavity between them into which rubber may flow, thus locking the surfaces tightly together. The direction of the overlaps shown ensures that the end-grain of the suede is always protected by the rubber.

As a result, the seam 10 between the rubber foot piece 3 and the suede shaft piece 4 is as strong and waterproof as any seam on a conventional rubber boot, and the rubber tape 11 seals the edges 13 of the shaft piece 4 together securely. The boot 1 is hence fully waterproof. The rubber sole unit 2 and foot piece 3 will receive most of any splashes, etc, resulting from walking through puddles, and will also suffer most of any scuffs experienced in wear. The suede shaft piece 4 is far more attractive than a rubber equivalent, but is still fully waterproof against any splashes, etc, which reach above the level of the foot piece 3.

While the invention has been described above in terms of a boot 1 with a rubber foot and a suede shaft, it is possible that part or all of the foot could also be made from suede. Similarly, a boot with a short or no shaft, or a shoe, could be produced in the same manner.

It is envisaged that the suede and rubber parts of the footwear would usually be coloured to match each other, or at least to tone in with each other. However, there is no technical reason to prevent contrasting colours or shades being used if desired. 

1. An item of footwear having upper means including a first component comprising a rubber material sealingly mounted by vulcanisation to a second component comprising a leather material having a nap on an outer surface.
 2. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second component comprises natural leather.
 3. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second component comprises suede leather.
 4. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second component comprises pig suede.
 5. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first component comprises a synthetic rubber material.
 6. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sole means of rubber, sealingly mounted by vulcanisation to the upper means.
 7. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sole means and said first and second components of the upper means are substantially simultaneously sealingly mounted together by vulcanisation.
 8. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said second component comprises a shaft piece of the item of footwear.
 9. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, further comprising elongate rubber tape means extending along a line of contact between selected components, in overlapping contact with and sealingly vulcanised to an outer surface of each adjoining component.
 10. A method of producing an item of footwear, comprising the steps of providing a first component and a second component of an upper means of the footwear, the first component comprising rubber and the second component comprising leather having a nap on an outer surface thereof, assembling said components to form the upper means and vulcanising the upper means to form a watertight seal between the first and second components.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising the further steps of providing sole means of the footwear comprising rubber, assembling the upper means and the sole means to form the footwear and vulcanising the footwear to form a watertight seal between the upper means and the sole means.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second and first components are vulcanised together to form the upper means and the upper means is vulcanised to the sole means in a single vulcanisation step.
 13. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of producing said second component from suede leather.
 14. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of producing said first component from synthetic rubber.
 15. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the assembling comprises applying elongate rubber tape means to extend overlappingly along selected joints of the footwear, prior to vulcanisation.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said elongate rubber tape means are applied to join leather to leather.
 17. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first component comprises a neoprene rubber material.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of producing the second component from pig suede.
 19. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of producing said first component from neoprene rubber. 